Some Methods to Make Homemade Ice Cream
By David & Martha Cox 07/21/2010
Photo by jamieanne
Homemade ice cream is synonymous with summer. For me, it’s especially synonymous with the 4th of July. But even though Independence Day has passed, there’s still plenty of time to get out in the backyard and enjoy some homemade ice cream with the family.
There are probably as many homemade ice cream recipes as there are families who make the stuff. Most of them are fairly similar–with a few variations here and there. That’s why I’m not going to get into them in this post. This is all about the methods you use to freeze your favorite recipe into that cold, frosty goodness we call “ice cream.”
Hand-Cranked
The hand cranked is definitely one of the more traditional methods of freezing ice cream. Many people swear by it. According to my wife’s grandfather (who ‘let’ me and my brother-in-law crank the ice cream we ate at one of our more recent family get togethers), you can actually produce better ice cream by manually cranking the freezer in that the ice cream you make comes out firmer. A strong human arm can stir the frozen ice cream long after a weak, electric motor would have thrown in the towel.
The truth is, I believe hand-cranked ice cream tastes better partly because you put so much effort into making it. Still, there’s no denying that it’s good, and it doesn’t require any electricity, so you can make it while out at the park with your friends, if you want.
Electric Crank
Photo by jeffreyw
Somewhere along the way from the 19th Century to the 21st Century, some enterprising person too lazy to crank ice cream by hand realized that attaching an electric motor in place of the handle on an ice cream freezer would let electricity do all the work. This became to the hand-cranked ice cream freezer what the segue became to walking: A way people could let an electric device do all the work for them (with the exception that the electric crank does not cost thousands of dollars and is not relegated largely to Comic-Con attendees.
We’ve all seen the electric crank, so I won’t waste too much more time here. Let’s talk about some unconventional methods for freezing ice cream.
Ziploc Bags
What if I only want one or two servings of ice cream–like, enough for me and my roommate living in the dorms? I don’t have an ice cream maker, and even if I did, an ice cream maker would be too much work–I don’t need THAT much ice cream.
The Ziploc bag method has you covered.
All you need is a gallon-size Ziploc bag and a quart-size Ziploc bag.
- Fill your quart-size bag (the smaller one) with your liquid ice cream mix from whatever recipe you love.
- Zip it up good and tight, and place it inside your larger bag.
- Now pack the space around the small bag with ice cubes and rock salt.
- You now have a bag of ice and salt, with a smaller (sealed) bag of ice cream mix inside it.
- Roll the bag around on a counter top. This will help mix the ice cream solution while freezing it at the same time. Be careful not to let the bag of ice cream come open, or salt water will get in it, ruining your ice cream.
- When the ice cream hardens, it’s ready to serve.
Here’s a video for all you visual learners:
The Coffee Can Method
Photo by Jeff Kubina
The “coffee can” method, as I call it can actually be done with any containers you have lying around the house (I just happen to prefer coffee cans).
Basically, it’s identical to the Ziploc Bag method, except you use coffee cans–a large one, and a small one.
Pour your favorite ice cream mix into the small coffee can. Place it in the larger can, and pack ice and rock salt around it.
Stir the ice cream until it solidifies, then enjoy it right out of the can!
Do you have a favorite method of making homemade ice cream? Share it with us below!
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